Big Brother’s Eye in the Sky Arrives in Florida

Police in Miami will soon be using a noisy bit of technology called a MAV, or Micro Air Vehicle, to snoop on citizens.

Miami-Dade Sgt. Andrew Cohen told CBS Miami[1] the drone will be used to gather real time information in situations that may be too dangerous for officers.

“If an SRT (Special Response Team) has to go into an area they don’t know what’s there, we don’t know what is in the backyard,” said Cohen, “They want to know if there are dogs in the backyard, if there is a shed, things that could be a threat to us.”

The ACLU is not so sure. “What happens when they fly over backyards and they see something without a warrant that they want to take [action] against,” pondered ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon.

Cops respond that the device – developed and used by the military – will only be used in situations where there is an established police presence. “They are going to know we are there because we will have tactical teams, SRT teams, we’re going to have a perimeter, it’s going to be secure,” said Cohen.

The police also admit the MAV – purchased with grant money (more than likely from the Department of Homeland Security, although this is not mentioned in the CBS article) – has the ability to peek in windows.

Since a large percentage of crime in the United States is of the non-violent and consensual sort – i.e., adults consuming substances prohibited by the state – it is probably advisable that the residents of Miami keep their window shades drawn from here on out.

In the not too distant future, however, the state will be able to look through your walls to see if you are doing something it considers illegal. Scientists and engineers are working to improve the capability of the Xaver800, a device that can see through walls.

The military and law enforcement agencies have orders in for the new technology, according to Science Daily[4].